The current COVID-19 situation in the Maldives has not improved enough to relax precautionary measures taken by authorities, public health expert Dr. Sheena Moosa has stated.
Speaking at a press conference held by the Health Emergency Operation Centre (HEOC) on Thursday, Dr. Sheena Moosa said although the situation has improved this month compared to the previous month, the improvement is still not satisfactory enough. The situation can only be deemed as safe if the number of unrelated cases fall to less than 20, said Dr. Sheena. While such cases have somewhat decreased, this shows that the rate of contagion has reduced to some extent, said Dr. Sheena. Noting that predictory data shows the rate will continue to fall, a ‘safe level’ is yet to be reached, she said.
Dr. Sheena further noted that although the numbers are falling, adequate figures have not been attained yet due to precautionary measures implemented by authorities not being properly followed by the public. Although a vehicle ban and a curfew have been implemented, there are still members of the public who do not adhere to the regulations in place. The current restrictions are expected to remain in place for two to four weeks, said Dr. Sheena.
“The indicators do not show that we have progressed to a green zone. We [our numbers] are still pretty high up. From our previous experience, we are aware that if we relax measures, and go back to our pre-COVID-19 routine when we move on to the green zone, the risk is still very real. Therefore, it is still important to hold on to the current measures for two, three weeks, and maintain the current numbers,” said Dr. Sheena.
Dr. Sheena said the testing capacity has improved, and that almost a 1,000 samples have been tested daily for the past few months. The number of cases that are not linked to existing clusters are also decreasing, she added. Both are positive signs, she said, further urging the public to adhere to the current measures in place.
